mini race report

Aloha !

Utah’s Karl Meltzer continued his recent dominace of many of the tough mountain 100’s by winning the HURT 100 Trail Endurance Run in the record-breaking time of 22:16. Karl, known for his intense, focused running style and quick aid station transitions, was relaxed, smiling, and even cracked an occasional witty one-liner on the way to being the only person to break the 24 hour barrier. Jim Kirby proved his toughness by running a great race and took the 2nd spot. Excellent trail conditions, beautiful weather and a strong field of 86 talented runners from all over the world produced the most finishers ever, 23 (26%). The women’s race record was also shattered by a gutsy performance from Beverly Anderson-Abbs, who spent much of the race with the front-running men. Local favorite Marian Yasuda surprised everyone, including herself, by taking second place (and was the first Hawaii finisher, overall) and the amazing Monica Scholz became the only runner to officially finish all 6 HURT 100 races. A large crowd of locals gathered at the finish line and went wild as Cheryl Loomis crossed the finish line. A party ensued, with a big tub of ice water being poured over Cheryl’s head (ala football) and a champagne toast, The day was filled with many emotional moments watching so many tough competitors show so much determination and the ability to handle pain.

A big MAHALO to all the hard-working volunteers who make this great event possible, including HURT guru Big John Salmonson, who was still working Monday morning getting the race results posted, and to the wonderful PJ Salmonson. Thanks to everyone, it was the best HURT 100 ever !

Don